Apparatus, system, and method for radiation hardened plastic and flexible elastomer scintillator

Abstract

A scintillating material that is a radiation hardened plastic and flexible elastomer is disclosed. The material is useful in a wide range of high energy particle environments and can be used to create detectors. Such detectors can be used in physics experiments or in medical treatment or imaging. The scintillator can be radiation hardened so as to allow for an extended lifetime over other materials.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A scintillating material for detecting high energy particles comprising:
 a base material selected from the group consisting of a siloxane material and a plastic; 
 a primary fluor melted into the base material by heating the base material to between 65° C. and 100° C.; and 
 a secondary fluor melted into the base material, wherein the scintillating material has a light output with little or no transmission loss after exposure to radiation dosages of up to approximately 10 5  Gy. 
 
     
     
       2. The scintillating material of  claim 1 , wherein the primary fluor comprises bis-MSB. 
     
     
       3. The scintillating material of  claim 1 , wherein the secondary fluor comprises pTP. 
     
     
       4. The scintillating material of  claim 1 , wherein the base material comprises HARDSIL. 
     
     
       5. The scintillating material of  claim 1 , wherein the primary fluor comprises bis-MSB and the secondary fluor comprises pTP. 
     
     
       6. The scintillating material of  claim 1 , wherein the scintillating material is configured to produce a light output of 400 nm. 
     
     
       7. The scintillating material of  claim 1 , wherein the base material comprises a siloxane substantially optically transparent. 
     
     
       8. The scintillating material of  claim 7 , wherein the siloxane comprises a polysiloxane with a structural formula of 
       
         
           
             
               
                 
                   ( 
                   
                     
                       R 
                       n 
                     
                     ⁢ 
                     
                       SiO 
                       
                         
                           4 
                           - 
                           n 
                         
                         2 
                       
                     
                   
                   ) 
                 
                 m 
               
               , 
             
           
         
       
       wherein in R comprises phenyl. 
     
     
       9. The scintillating material of  claim 1 , wherein the scintillating material is radiation hardened based upon the selection of a radiation hardened base material, a radiation hardened first fluor, and a radiation hardened second fluor. 
     
     
       10. A method for creating a scintillating material, the method comprising:
 providing a base material, wherein the base material is selected from the group consisting of a siloxane material and a plastic; 
 melting a primary fluor into the base material by heating the base material between 65° C. and 100° C.; 
 melting a secondary fluor into the base material; and 
 melting a curing agent into the base material to form the scintillating material, wherein the scintillating material is formed to be radiation hardened to maintain production of a light output with little or no transmission loss after exposure to high radiation dosages of up to approximately 10 5  Gy. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10 , wherein melting a primary fluor comprises heating the base material until the primary fluor dissolves. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the base material comprises HARDSIL, the primary fluor comprises bis-MSB, and the secondary fluor comprises pTP. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the curing agent comprises dicumyl peroxide. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the base material comprises 99% HARDSIL. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the base material is heated to between 65 C and 100 C before adding the first fluor and the second fluor. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , wherein post curing comprises applying heat of approximately 200 C to the scintillating material for approximately 2 hours. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 10 , further comprising the steps of:
 degassing the scintillating material under vacuum; 
 applying nitrogen gas at a positive pressure of approximately 1.5 psi while applying heat of approximately 130 C for approximately 8 hours; and 
 post-curing the scintillating material to remove peroxide break down products. 
 
     
     
       18. An apparatus for detecting high energy particles comprising:
 a scintillating material comprising;
 a base material; 
 a primary fluor comprising bis-MSB melted into the base material between 65° C. and 100° C.; and 
 a secondary fluor comprising pTP, 
 
 wherein the scintillating material is formed by being degassed under vacuum, having nitrogen gas applied at a positive pressure while under heat, and post-cured to remove peroxide break down products wherein the scintillating material is configured to resist damage from high radiation dosages of approximately 10 5  Gy and still generate a light output with little or no transmission loss.